Patent Application
20090096751
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Virtual input devices are sometimes used to input commands and/or transfer other information to computers. One such input device is a virtual computer keyboard. The virtual keyboard is created through a projection of light on a surface. Virtual keyboards determine when a user's fingers contact the virtual input device and which virtual keys are contacted by the fingers. Pressing of the keys does not actually input information, but the interaction or interface between the user's fingers and the keys delineated by the projection of light are used to input information to the computer system. Virtual keyboards have, in many instances, eliminated the need for actual mechanical keyboards.
Virtual keyboards can be used in hospitals, which require a sterilized environment, or in other words, an environment that is substantially free from germs or viruses. Through the use of the virtual keyboard, the surface on which the keyboard is projected can be easily cleaned. For example, between shifts of a caregiver, the surface upon which the keyboard is projected can be sprayed or wiped down with sterilizing fluids to remove any contaminants, bioproducts, or other unwanted residue that may accumulate upon a surface that is touched by either the patient or the caregiver.
The use of a virtual keyboard is an improvement over other physical, or mechanical, keyboards, which can permit the accumulation of undesirable products between or beneath the keys of the keyboard. In some instances, a thin cover is placed over a mechanical keyboard in an attempt to prevent such products from accumulating inside the keyboard. However, the keyboards can still accumulate unwanted products over time in places that are not properly cleaned or wiped. Moreover, the cover often impedes typing by the users, as it is often difficult to decipher which key is being depressed without looking at the keyboard.
The innovation of the virtual keyboard has been fueled by a strong desire to eliminate the need of an actual mechanical keyboard, which can be considered bulky and cumbersome. With the virtual keyboard, phones and personal handheld devices can receive input in a manner that is much easier than using miniature keyboards on the device itself or collapsible keyboards that are connected to the device. For purposes of transportability of a keyboard to be used with personal handheld devices, the virtual keyboard provides portability and convenience.
However, for many reasons explained herein, continual use of the virtual keyboard alone may present overriding drawbacks that may limit wide acceptance of the virtual keyboard in the medical industry. For example, virtual keyboards lack the tactile or tangible feel that many are accustomed to having when using a mechanical keyboard. When using a mechanical keyboard, the user is able to feel and know the location of each key without depressing the key or without looking at the keyboard. However, the visual keyboard does not provide the tactile feel that indicates to the user the location of the keys. The user of the visual keyboard is required to continually look down at the projection of the keyboard and visually locate the key that is to be pressed. This can be difficult if the user is trying to copy information from another document and has to repeatedly switch attention from the document to the keyboard. Continual use of the visual keyboard in this manner can possibly result in neck or back problems.
Another concern with the virtual keyboard is that the keyboard is projected onto a hard, flat surface. While this makes it convenient for cleaning, the hard, flat surface is not ergonomically suitable for the hands. For example, when a user hits a key to input information into the computer, the user's finger strikes the hard, flat surface. The user is often accustomed to depressing a key on a mechanical keyboard that provides a degree of resistance while the key is being depressed, thus reducing the impact of the finger on the key. Repeated use of the virtual keyboard on the hard, flat surface can possibly result in sore fingertips or other complications with the fingers and wrists.
Yet another concern about the virtual keyboard is that the projected keyboard is often difficult to see when used in full light. The light is projected onto a surface that the user views to determine where to press to input a key stroke. However, when in a room, or outside, where there is a sufficient amount of light, the keyboard projected onto the surface can be hard to decipher. Accordingly, several applications of the virtual keyboard take place in darkened rooms.
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a new virtual keyboard system that overcomes at least the above-mentioned shortcomings of the above-described virtual keyboards. While the virtual keyboard was designed to eliminate the need of a mechanical keyboard, and as the industry has been moving to smaller, compact keyboards, disclosed herein is a system that incorporates a mechanical keyboard and a virtual keyboard. In some embodiments described herein, a virtual keyboard is projected onto a mechanical keyboard, and the virtual keyboard detects when keys of the mechanical keyboard are depressed. While the virtual keyboard would otherwise obviate the use of a mechanical keyboard, and combining the two would appear illogical given the functions and purposes of each, it has been found that combining a virtual keyboard with a mechanical keyboard has several advantages.
For example, using a virtual keyboard projected onto a mechanical keyboard eliminates any need for the mechanical keyboard to contain electrical components. Accordingly, the mechanical keyboard can be devoid of electrical components, thus allowing the keyboard to be sterilized or otherwise washed for cleaning, such as, for example, in a dishwasher or fully submersible in cleansing agents. Additionally, there is also no concern about liquid spilling on the keyboard because, without electronics, the mechanical keyboard is much less likely to be damaged by liquid.
The combined system also provides tactile indication of the keys on the keyboard, which correspond to those projected by the virtual keyboard system. The user is able to use the mechanical keyboard like any other keyboard, and the virtual keyboard system detects actuation of the keys for inputting the information into, for example, a computer. Because the user is able to feel and locate the keys without looking down at the keyboard, the system makes it easier to copy information from a document or separate screen, as the user can focus attention on the document instead of trying to identify the location of the key to be pressed. Moreover, the mechanical keyboard can provide the normal depression function and reduce the impact force that is experienced when a user strikes a key of the virtual keyboard on a flat, hard surface. Furthermore, the mechanical keyboard can be used in any type of light. In dark environments, the keyboard can be illuminated by the projection of the keyboard, and in light environments, the mechanical keyboard can include printed markings to provide indication of the keys.
Disclosed herein are further embodiments of a system for simulating physical aspects of a keyboard for a virtual keyboard projection. As explained above, by using a keyboard having simple mechanical components along with the virtual keyboard projection, a user can be provided with the tangible feel of a keyboard. Further, the system can provide a sanitized environment because of the simple mechanical components of the physical keyboard component of the system.
In accordance with certain embodiments, a system for inputting information is presented. The system preferably includes a physical keyboard having a plurality of actionable keys. A projector is configured to project light toward the actionable keys on the physical keyboard. When a key is depressed, a detector that is configured to obtain user input detects interference in the projected light.
According to some embodiments, a method for inputting information is presented. The method preferably includes projecting light toward a keyboard having a plurality of actionable keys. By projecting light towards the keyboard, the method can obtain user input by detecting interference in the projected light when the actionable keys of the keyboard are depressed.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description below, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a new virtual keyboard system that provides several advantages over other keyboards. In some embodiments described herein, an input system incorporates a mechanical keyboard and a virtual keyboard. In certain embodiments, a virtual keyboard is projected onto a mechanical keyboard. The virtual keyboard component includes sensors that detect when keys of the mechanical keyboard are depressed. Combining a mechanical keyboard and a virtual keyboard eliminates the need for the mechanical keyboard to contain electrical components. Thus, the keyboard can be sterilized, or otherwise washed, for example, in a dishwasher or submersed in cleansing agents. As mentioned, the combined system also provides tactile indication of the keys on the keyboard, which correspond to those projected by the virtual keyboard system. The user is able to use the mechanical keyboard like any other keyboard, and the virtual keyboard system detects actuation of the keys for inputting the information into, for example, a computer. The disclosed virtual keyboard system can also be used in several environments, illuminated or dark. Such a virtual keyboard system can be used advantageously in clean environments, such as, for example, hospitals and other care or research facilities.
Now referencing
The known keyboard projection apparatus 102 of
The projection component 104 of the keyboard projection apparatus 102 displays the virtual keyboard 108 onto a surface. The surface can be a tabletop, a desk, or similar consistent surface so that images can appear. To project the virtual keyboard 108 on the surface, visible light can be used. When visible light is used, the projection of the keyboard 108 by the projection component 104 can be beams of light, lasers, or any other way of projecting visible light. In one embodiment, the projection component 104 is directly in front of the virtual keyboard 108. Alternatively, the projection component 104 can be positioned from behind the virtual keyboard 108. Still yet, the projection component 104 can be positioned above or beneath the virtual keyboard 108.
With continued reference to
Because the system, as described above, does not provide a physical keyboard, the user can not determine with certainty whether a key has been pressed without visually processing information on a monitor. Further, the user cannot locate by touch a key on the projected keyboard. Because there is no tactile feel to the virtual keyboard of
The present disclosure relates to a system that incorporates utilizing physical features with the projection system 102. Such a system can facilitate, among other things, maintaining a sterile environment, as explained above with respect to
The embodiments of the systems 200 of
In certain embodiments, the keyboard 202 refers to a keyboard incorporating the keys and orientation of keys that correspond to those of standardized keyboards. In some embodiments, the keyboard projection apparatus 102 does not need to conform its settings to the layout of the keyboard 202 because a single shape and size of keyboard is used with the system. In further embodiments, the keyboards 202 can be different shapes and sizes, and the keyboard projection apparatus 102 can be configured to detect which keyboard 202 is being used and correlate that to the keys that are depressed on the keyboard 202. In embodiments that are configured to use keyboards of various shapes and sizes, the keyboard projection apparatus 102 preferably adjusts the settings to the size and specifications by performing an initial scan of the keyboard 202 or by some other identification process.
With reference to
In the embodiments depicted in
While embodiments depicted in
Now referring to
Although the embodiments explained above with respect to
In further embodiments, the projection device 104 is configured to provide a projection of light under the keyboard 202, which projection of light may be substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the keys of the keyboard 202. Accordingly, depression of the keys is detected by interference of the light being emitted along the bottom of the keys of the keyboard 202. For example, in some embodiments, the projection device 104 comprises a plurality of light sources, or emitters, that project light toward the keyboard 202. In some embodiments, light is projected onto a top surface of the keyboard 202, and in some embodiments, light is projected underneath the bottom surface of the keyboard 202. In some embodiments, light is projected both onto the top surface and underneath the bottom surface of the keyboard 202.
In some embodiments, the light that is projected is visible light, and in further embodiments non-visible light is projected toward the keyboard 202. Visible light can be used in a manner similar to that described above. In some embodiments, visible light is projected toward the keyboard, and it can be projected onto the top surface of the keys of the keyboard or underneath the keys of the keyboard. When non-visible light is used, the projection onto the surface would be even less detectable by the user, and be can used to reduce any distracting effects of the light. Such non-visible light can include ultra-violet light or infrared light.
Interference of light patterns that are projected underneath the keys of the keyboard 202 can be detected in any number of ways. For example, the location of the interference can be triangulated in a similar manner in which the location of the interference is located above the keys of the keyboard 202. In some embodiments, the light is projected just below the bottom of the key, such that when the key is depressed, the light pattern is disturbed. In some embodiments, detection of the interference can be facilitated by modification of the key itself. For example, in some embodiments, the keys may include a reflective material that is configured to deflect the light that is emitted underneath the keyboard when the key is depressed. In some embodiments, the reflective material includes a filter that limits the frequency of light reflected. When light with multiple wavelengths is used to detect the depression or actuation of a key, each key, or a series of keys, can have a unique filter that only reflects light of a certain wavelength. When light is deflected with a corresponding wavelength, the scanning device 106 can identify which key was depressed.
With reference now to
For purposes of providing the user with comfortability of use, in certain embodiments, the spring device 308 is configured to replicate the feel of a conventional keyboard when a key 302 is depressed. The depressability of the keys also allows accurate detection of key presses by the keyboard projection apparatus 102 Further, the individually separated keys 302 create defined tactile boundaries allowing the user to position their hands on the keyboard by touch rather than sight.
The keyboard 202 can be washed or disposed of because each key 302 of the keyboard 202 uses simple mechanical parts and does not contain electrical components therein. Moreover, as opposed to dummy keyboards, the keyboard systems disclosed herein have fully functioning actuatable keys that replicate the natural feel experienced with conventional keyboards. In certain embodiments, the keyboard 202 can be washed with computer cleaning materials. In other embodiments, the keyboard 202 can be washed with household cleaners. In other embodiments, the keyboard 202 is sterilized by other methods. For example, in some embodiments, the keyboard 202 can be immersed in cleansing fluids or agents during a sterilization process. Although the present disclosure provides embodiments of a keyboard 202 having only mechanical parts, one skilled in the art would understand that the keyboard 202 can also have electrical parts that are resistant to liquids or cleaning agents. However, in use, the electrical parts would have no function in inputting data.
Now referring to
As shown, the icons can represent generally accepted icons 402 such as letters of the English language. As shown in
The description of the invention is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. While the present disclosure has been particularly described with reference to various figures and embodiments, it should be understood that these are for illustration purposes only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure. There may be many other ways to implement the embodiments of the disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, many changes and modifications may be made to the invention, by one having ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
